Rarity held her word and pulled up to Sweet Apple Acres just before five o’clock Saturday evening. She had even brought Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo along so they could spend the night with Apple Bloom.
Applejack greeted them at the end of the dirt driveway, wearing her usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. Rarity wore a starry blue blouse with purple leggings. Applejack had no idea what the dress code was for concerts, but was sure Rarity would comment on it.
Sweetie and Scootaloo jumped out of the car and bounded up to the porch to see Apple Bloom, saying a quick hi to Applejack as they passed.
“Hey, girls,” Apple Bloom said, greeting them with a three-way high-five. “Ah’m surprised you didn’t want to go to the concert, Sweetie.”
Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Eh. Coloratura is fine, but I prefer Sapphire Shores.”
“Ah’ve got some of her albums in mah room. Y’all wanna listen to them?”
“Sounds awesome!” Scootaloo cheered.
Applejack watched the three of them race inside, then got into Rarity’s car. She saw the look Rarity gave, and just before she opened her mouth, Applejack cut across her.
“Yes, this is what Ah’m wearing to the concert.”
Rarity clicked her tongue. “Would you at least consider putting on some make-up? You’re going to meet Coloratura herself. You could dress up a little bit.”
Applejack crossed her arms. “Ah especially don’t care what some fancy diva thinks about me.”
She clucked her tongue again. “Fine, be your stubborn self. Luckily, I’m fabulous enough for the both of us.” She put the car in reverse and backed out onto the main road. The early hours of dusk stretched the shadows of the trees across the road.
They exchanged few words during the drive, the radio filling the empty space instead. Applejack sat slumped to one side, resting her head in her palm.
Rarity glanced over and pursed her lips. “The least you could do is pretend to be excited.”
Applejack sighed. “Ah told you this ain’t really mah thing. Plus…” Applejack scratched the back of her neck. “Ah can’t help but feel a little anxious. So far both times we’ve been to the colosseum, bad things happened to us.”
“Darling, relax. It’s just a Coloratura concert. They’re far more tame than anything the Sirens put on. And she’s not secretly some super villain plotting world domination through music. Probably.”
“With our luck, she just might be,” Applejack muttered.
Rarity sighed as they took the off-ramp into the city. “I’m going to get you to have fun tonight if it kills me.”
They ran into traffic a mile out from Canterlot Colosseum. Applejack instantly knew it was related to the concert because the car in front of them had an ‘I ♥ Coloratura’ bumper sticker. Watching the sunset between the towering skyscrapers was a nice consolation at least. Applejack found the orange glow reflecting off the glass windows relaxing.
After a ten-minute crawl, they made it into the parking lot. Rarity took an extra minute to apply another layer of blush before exiting the car. “Are you sure you don’t—”
“Eeyup.”
“Fine. But you know you’ll have to take your hat off when the show starts, yes?”
Applejack touched the brim of her stetson. Of course she knew that; it was common courtesy.
They moved up to the front entrance, and just like the traffic, they found themselves in a snaking line that wrapped around the front of the building. People were dressed in Coloratura shirts and jackets, had posters with her face on them, and even wore long purple and silver hair extensions or veils in front of their faces.
“Ah never understood how or why people get so worked up over one celebrity,” Applejack said.
“Because they’re inspiring!” Rarity said, spreading her fingers. “People love art and music. And when you find something that really moves you, you can’t help but want to meet the artist in question. Even you have to have some musician or celebrity you admire.”
“‘Course Ah do,” Applejack said, smiling fondly. “Dirk Thistleweed and the Barnyard Bunch.”
Rarity blinked, looking mystified. “Dirk Thistleweed… and the Barnyard Bunch?”
“Yep! Best folk music from the South. Ah’d love to shake their hand at least once. So, that part Ah get. But, some people take this way too far.” Applejack pointed to someone covered from head to toe in Coloratura merchandise and holding up a life-sized blow-up doll.
Rarity gave a quick shake of her head and came out of her stupor. “Well, there are always the more… let’s say colorful fans out there. As long as they aren’t hurting anyone, let them like what they like.”
“Alright, alright,” Applejack said, fanning a hand. “Ah still think it’s weird but you're right.”
The line moved at a slow but steady pace. Eventually, they reached security and Rarity presented their tickets. In return, Applejack and Rarity received a wristband that had ‘Backstage’ written across it, followed by a star encircled by multicolored music notes.
Their seats were in the east wing, center-left and high above the stage. Applejack had never been in the stands before; both times she and her friends were here, they were on the ground or on stage. Said stage took up one endzone of the field and had a long bridge jutting down the middle, making it look more like a catwalk. The rest of the field was awash with fans already snapping pictures with their cell phones. The stands were almost filled to max capacity as well, and Applejack could feel the excitement crackling in the air.
“I can’t believe we’re here!” Rarity said, her voice faint amongst the growing din. “A live Coloratura concert! I’ve been waiting all year for this!”
“Be straight with me, Rarity,” Applejack said as she cast her eyes over the sea of screaming fans. “Why’d you invite me of all people to come with you?”
“Because I like to get people to try new things.” Rarity smiled. “And because honestly, I feel like you and I have rarely ever spent any one on one time together.”
Applejack mulled her words over. “Ah guess because you and Ah don’t share a lot of common interests. Case in point.” She gave a wide gesture to the stadium around them.
“And I was hoping this would bring us a little closer as friends. I want to make as many memories as possible before we head our separate ways.”
Applejack returned her smile, though it wasn’t as strong. “Well, Ah hope you’re right about tonight.”
The stadium lights dimmed, and the crowd volume rose to a crescendo. Applejack took her hat off and tucked it beneath her seat before pressing her hands against her ears. She didn’t remember the stadium being this loud at the Sirens’ concert.
A synth chord started, followed by a heavy drumbeat. A burst of light left stars in Applejack’s eyes, then fog began to pour onto the stage. Her body tensed as she remembered the green fog from the Sirens’ concerts. A gentle touch on her shoulder from Rarity only did so much to relax her.
“Canterlot!” a voice echoed throughout the colosseum. Applejack had to cover her ears again at the crowd’s deafening response.
“It’s good to be home!” A lone figure appeared in the center of the fog. Laser lights danced around her as she posed with a hand on her hip, her humongous ponytail waving in the breeze.
“La-a-ah-ah-ah!
“Roma-roma-ma!
“Rara, ooh la la!
“Time for some romance!”
Four pyrotechnic geysers exploded from the front of the stage and cleared the fog away. Countess Coloratura stood at the top of the catwalk, backed by four male dancers. She wore a tight-fitting cropped lavender jacket over an even tighter purple shirt, purple shorts, and black leggings. Her collar was popped and studded with diamonds that caught the lights of the laser effects. Her thick boots, wristbands, and belt were also studded with polished spikes that shone like the rainbow. Beneath the veil in front of her face, Applejack could see thick eyelashes and black mascara. She wasn’t sure if Coloratura was supposed to be pop or punk.
Coloratura strutted forward, swinging one leg in front of the other and twiddling her fingers to the audience as she belted the first verse to her song. Half the stadium sang along with her while the other half continued to scream her name. She reached the end of the catwalk, spun on the tip of her boot, dropped into the splits, and quickly bounced back up, singing perfectly the entire time.
Applejack whistled. Even she could appreciate the choreography happening. And the song wasn't too bad either. It was just another love song, but the beat and melody were catchy. The crowd didn’t seem to be hostile either, just passionate and excited. Perhaps it had all just been paranoia. Although, as Applejack listened, something in Coloratura’s voice made her nostalgic.
“Rarity!” Applejack yelled over the chorus. “Is she known for anything other than pop?”
“I don’t think so! Why?”
“Nothin’, just, Ah feel like Ah might have heard her before!”
“Darling, she’s all over the radio! Of course you’ve heard her before!” Rarity resumed singing along with the crowd.
Applejack made an unsatisfied grunt. Maybe it was all in her head.
Coloratura popped, locked, swooned, and shuffled while she sang, her every action and word devoured by the crowd. She ended her first song with a stomp, and more pyrotechnics exploded around her.
Applejack leaned back in her seat. “Ah gotta admit, that wasn’t so bad. Had a nice beat to it at least.”
“See? I knew you’d warm up to it!” Rarity said with a squee.
“Hello, Canterlot!” Coloratura yelled into her headset. The stadium yelled a greeting back to her. “How are you all doing tonight?”
Applejack had to cover her ears again, mostly to protect herself from Rarity’s shrill scream alone.
“Are you ready for a spectacle?” Fog drifted onto the stage once more, and Coloratura strutted back toward the center. She became silhouetted in the mist, illuminated for brief seconds by flashes of intense light. She put a hand on her hip and cast a glance over her shoulder, tapping her boot to an electronic drumbeat.
“Time for the spectacle,
“Time for the show!
“The lights are bright and the colors glow!”
More laser lights and flashing bulbs danced in front of Applejack’s eyes, leaving her dazed.
Coloratura flipped her hair and spread her arms, urging the audience to cheer harder. “I’m not just anybody,
“I think you know.
“The time is now, it’s about to blow!”
Sparklers and fireworks burst into life over Coloratura’s head, driving the fog away again. She and her backups danced vibrantly, waving their arms and rolling their hips as they paraded across the stage.
“Razzle dazzle!
“Glitz and glam!
“Turn it all up, it’s a spectacle!” Coloratura belted out, her voice sounding more synthesized the longer she sang. She backed up to center stage again, and a platform rose from beneath, elevating her above her dancers.
“Hear the applause,
“Here to impress!
“Not just anybody, I am the Countess!” She punctuated the end with a fist in the air while more flares went off around her.
The crowd erupted in another storm of applause. Applejack stared nonplussed.
“Ah take back what Ah said. Ah hate it.”
“What?” Rarity looked aghast. “Why?”
“That was all flash and no substance! The last song at least had some meaning to it! What the heck was this one even about?”
“That’s a Coloratura classic! She always includes that at the top of her shows!” Rarity said hotly.
Applejack slumped in her chair and folded her arms over her stomach. She didn’t understand how that synthetic mess could make anybody feel anything. She remained in that position for the remainder of the concert, occasionally tapping her foot to a song that was almost catchy.
Rarity either didn’t notice Applejack’s rankled state or had stopped caring. She was up and dancing and chatting with the group next to her.
After two hours and a double encore, Coloratura finally took a bow. “Thank you, Canterlot, you’ve been such a great audience! I love you all so much! It’s great to be back in my hometown!”
Might be the first genuine thing she’s said all night. Applejack sat up, popped her lower back, and grabbed her hat. “Alright, let’s get outta here.”
Rarity gave her a cross look. “Are you really going to be a grouch and tell me you didn’t enjoy any of that?”
“Ah’m sorry, Rarity. This kinda music just isn’t mah thing. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself though, honest.”
Rarity’s eyes softened and she gave a slow sigh. “Well, I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time. I’m glad you at least gave it a shot.” She held up her wrist and gave her band a shake. “We still have backstage passes, but I’d understand if you’d rather wait in the car.”
Applejack mulled it over for a second then shook her head. “Ah’d hate to think you wasted it. Might as well see this through to the end.”
Rarity did a little dance and clapped her hands. “Thank you, Applejack!”
It was slow going, getting out of the stands, wading through the departing crowd, and finding their way to the backstage line. It was shorter than Applejack imagined, with no more than twenty other people. Two burly security guards stood in front of the backstage door.
The wait was just as long as the security line before the show. Every time Applejack checked her watch, ten more minutes had passed. Everyone else seemed patient though.
“Coloratura always takes time to sign autographs after every show,” Rarity explained.
“Glad she cares about her fans at least.”
One of the guards pressed a hand to his earpiece and nodded. “Okay, remain in an orderly fashion. There will be no touching and cameras must have the flash turned off. Remember, you can be removed at any time.” He opened the door and ushered them inside.
Purple carpets with golden accents decorated the back room. The support columns had portraits of other famous musicians and comedians that graced the colosseum. A table with a spread of fancy foods sat against one wall, while a plush sofa took up the opposite side. From the opposing door came two more security guards followed by Countess Coloratura herself.
She waved at the group as she strolled forward with less swagger than she had on stage. “Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the concert.”
Applejack was surprised how much noise so few people could make. They all started talking over each other: complementing, asking questions, and holding out things to be signed. Coloratura didn’t look phased in the slightest. Of course, it was a little hard to tell with the veil in the way.
She had an amicable conversation with a very excited fan who kept pulling things from her purse to sign. To close out their meeting, Coloratura pulled out a heart-shaped stamp and gently pressed it into the girl’s cheek.
“Heartsies!”
The girl’s face froze with joy as did the rest of her body. Her friend had to pull her away.
Coloratura giggled and looked at the remainder of the group. “Okay, who’s—” Her gaze landed on Applejack and stayed there.
“Um, hi your countessness,” Applejack said after a few awkward seconds.
Coloratura took a step toward her, and Applejack could see her mouth was slightly ajar. “Applejack?” she asked in a breathy whisper.
Everyone’s eyes were now on Applejack. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
“It’s me!” Coloratura lifted her veil up. “Rara!”
“Rara?” Rarity parroted.
“Rara?” Applejack stared at the girl’s exposed face. The door to her childhood memories was thrown wide open, and her mind lined up the hazy image of an old friend with the girl in front of her now. “Oh mah stars, it is you!”
Coloratura—or Rara—let out a jubilant yell and pulled Applejack into a surprise hug. Once the initial shock wore off, Applejack gingerly returned it.
When Rara pulled away, there were tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re here! How are you? It’s been so long! Oh, no, we can’t talk here! Umm, Stonewall!”
One of the security guards stepped forward. His gray skin and square shoulders indeed made him look like a stone wall.
“Could you escort Applejack back to my dressing room? You’re okay with that, right? I promise I won’t take too long.”
Applejack blinked, her mind racing to keep up with what was happening. “Uh, yeah? Ah mean, as long as mah friend Rarity here can come, too.”
“Of course! Stonewall, escort her too, please. I’ll see you in a little bit!”
Stonewall stepped forward and gestured toward the door. With one more look at Rara, Applejack took Rarity by the arm and took off.
Rarity allowed herself to be led onward, looking less affronted but certainly just as confused as the crowd behind them. When they got into the hall, she started hyperventilating.
“Applejack! You know Countess Coloratura?”
“Uh… sorta? Ah’ll explain in a sec.”
Stonewall led them to Coloratura’s dressing room, the door decorated with the same star surrounded by music notes that were on their wristbands. The dressing room was surprisingly tame; just a vanity table, a fainting couch, and a rack of outfits.
“Please do not touch anything,” Stonewall said before leaving them alone inside.
Rarity took a few deep breaths, then rounded on Applejack. “All right, explain!”
“Well…” Applejack took her hat off and scratched the back of her head. “A long time ago, Ah had a friend named Rara. Well, Ah called her Rara because her full name was too hard to say. Ah called her that for so long, Ah plum forgot her full name was Coloratura.
“She always had an amazing singing voice. And now that Ah’m remembering, she was a good dancer too. And pretty. She was just overall super talented.” Applejack sank down onto the couch. “Ah don’t know why she hung out with me. Any time we were playing together, there was always a gang of kids tailin’ somewhere behind.”
Applejack closed her eyes and smiled. “Never did let any of that get to her head though. She was sweet and honest and down-to-earth. And she wasn’t afraid to get dirty. Hah, Ah remember at camp, the day after it rained, we found this big ol’ mud puddle. We splashed in it for hours and made mud pies. Made the counselors furious when we tracked it all inside the cabins.”
Rarity took a seat next to her. “So, what happened between you two?”
“Nothin’. She moved away when we were about nine. We wrote to each other for a little while, but we just fell outta touch. She did say she wanted to be a singer someday though. And she really did have the prettiest voice.” Applejack gave a snort. “Ah knew she sounded familiar up on that stage. All the signs were there, but she had to stand right in mah face before Ah recognized her.”
“Goodness. I was hoping something extraordinary would happen tonight, but I never would have believed it would be this extraordinary. You’re reuniting with your long-lost friend who happens to be Countess Coloratura!” Rarity fanned her face. “Sometimes it really feels like we’re living in a storybook!”
“Keep your boots on, Rarity. Ah don’t even know what Ah’m supposed to say to her. It’s been almost ten years since we’ve spoken face-to-face. She’s a bigshot diva now, and Ah’m just a farmer.”
“I’m sure she’s still the same girl you grew up with. She did recognize you right away, after all.” Rarity slouched her shoulders. “Though, I don’t know how she’ll feel when she hears you don’t like her music.”
Applejack swallowed. “Right…”
The doorknob turned, and both girls got to their feet. Coloratura slipped inside, took her veil off, and rested against the door. After a deep breath, she locked eyes with Applejack again. “A.J., I can’t believe it’s really you!”
Applejack chuckled. “Ah could say the same thing.”
Coloratura gave a guilty smile. She stepped over to her vanity and carefully removed what Applejack now knew was a wig. She set the silver and purple ponytail aside and unwrapped her natural blue ringlets. They fell over her shoulder, lighter around the tips than the base.
“Better?” Rara asked, running a hand down them.
“Ah think so.” Applejack laughed nervously. “Sorry, Ah’m still piecin’ this all together.”
“I’m just as shocked as you are. When they booked Canterlot as a stop on my tour, I thought maybe, maybe I could see you again. If you even remembered who I was. But, I never dreamed you’d pop up backstage.”
“Yeah, small world.” Applejack took a step back and gave Rarity a gentle push forward. “Rara, this is Rarity. She’s the one who got the tickets, so it’s thanks to her we get to see each other again.”
Rara stuck her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you! Oh, I love your outfit! Who made it?”
Rarity limply extended her hand, forcing Rara to do the rest of the work. “I, uh, you, uh, music, uh, love…”
Applejack nudged her back.
Rarity underwent a quick reboot, letting out a quick, high-pitched giggle before speaking. “Yes! Hi! I’m a big fan of your music! It’s all so wonderful! Actually, I made this dress myself. I’m a bit of a designer.”
Rara circled around Rarity. “You made this yourself? Wow, it’s gorgeous! I would love to wear a dress like this at some of my functions!”
“I can make more!” Rarity practically screamed. She cleared her throat. “I mean, I would be honored to make a dress or two for you.”
“Would you? I would love, love that! All of my clothes are picked out from big-name labels, but I do what I can to support local businesses, especially from Canterlot.”
Applejack tilted her head. “‘Picked out’? What, you don’t get to decide your own clothes?”
“Not really. It’s fine because most of them look or feel great, but they have fit the ‘industry standard’,” Rara said using air quotes. She gave a slight huff and rolled her eyes. “Otherwise, the tabloids get to have a field day with me. But this looks so great, no one would be able to tell if it was designer brand or not.”
“Not yet,” Rarity amended. “I’m actually going to the New York Fashion Institute this fall.”
Rara gave her a playful smirk. “I thought you were just a bit of a designer?” Both girls shared a fit of giggles.
Applejack fidgeted before sinking onto the couch again, an uncomfortable deja vu settling in.
“So, how did you enjoy the concert?” Rara asked.
“It was amazing!” Rarity gushed. “I absolutely loved it! Applejack—”
“Also loved it!” Applejack said, jumping to her feet again. “Yep, thought it was the bee's knees! You were really somethin’ else!”
Rarity gave her a suspicious side-eye. Applejack ignored her.
Rara clapped her hands. “I’m so glad! I’m always so nervous right before a show; it never gets easier. But, hearing my fans loved it always makes it worth it. I’m really glad you had fun, A.J.!”
“Yep, me too!” Applejack smiled widely. She could feel sweat gathering at the nape of her neck.
Rara took a seat at her vanity. “But, that’s enough about the concert. How have you been? We haven’t written in so long! I wanna hear all the details!”
“Oh, well—”
A quick knock came from the door. “Coloratura, are you busy?”
“One sec, A.J., that’s my manager.” Rara hopped up and pulled the door open. A shorter but well-dressed man with wiry blue hair and perfectly round glasses walked in, eyes down on a clipboard.
“Wonderful, wonderful show as always, Coloratura. Network views were through the roof.” He looked up and gave a startled hop. “Oh, I didn’t know you had brought fans back here.”
“Starstruck, this is my childhood friend Applejack and her friend Rarity,” Rara said, beaming at the two of them. “I haven’t seen Applejack in so long, I wanted to catch up in private.”
Starstruck bowed his head. “It’s nice to meet both of you. I hate to cut your reunion short, but you do have an early photoshoot tomorrow.”
Rara sighed. “You’re right. I got a little excited.”
“I’m sure we can find time for you to catch up later,” Starstruck said, flipping through his clipboard. “But right now, I strongly encourage you to get some rest. I’ll let you say your goodbyes.”
Once he stepped out of the room, Rara faced the two girls again, twirling her finger around her ringlets. “I’m sorry, Starstruck can be a stickler for schedules. Though he’s much better than my last manager.”
“We understand,” Rarity said cordially. “He’s probably right anyway; it’s been a long night for you.”
“This is nothing,” Rara said, fighting a yawn. “Applejack and I used to stay up all night telling ghost stories.”
“Not that they were ever scary,” Applejack said fondly.
“But, I would hate to have bags under my eyes for tomorrow. We’ll have to catch up a little bit later. And there will be a later. I’m taking a little break from my tour to spend some time in Canterlot.” Rara reached into a drawer and pulled out a cell phone. “Let’s exchange numbers and I’ll call you the second I find free time. You’re more than welcome to come too, Rarity.”
Rarity let out a long squee as Applejack took Rara’s number. When they were done, Rara flung her arms around Applejack one more time. “I promise, we’ll hang out.”
“Ah’m looking forward to it,” Applejack said, something turning in her gut.
*******
“You get one sip.”
“I know.”
“Just a sip,” Sunset emphasized again as she handed Twilight the coffee cup. “I still think this is a terrible idea.”
“I just need a little stimulation to keep me going a few more hours.” Twilight put her lips on the coffee lid and slowly tipped it back. A lump went down her throat, and she scrunched her nose as she pulled the lid away. “Blegh!”
Sunset took the coffee back and took a sip of her own. “Sorry, I like my coffee strong.”
“Noted,” Twilight said, sticking her tongue out. She swiveled in her desk chair and started clacking away on her computer. The two girls were in her garage (Sunset refused to call it a lab just to get an adorable rise out of Twilight) working on Twilight’s latest project. Every time Sunset came down, she swore Twilight had acquired a new piece of technology. Tonight, she had a whole new computer tucked in a corner along with a high-definition scanner and a 3D printer.
Mounted next to Twilight’s main computer was a robotic arm. It was the same length and width of a regular human arm, only this had three claw-like fingers, each with three movable joints. It had started out as a hydraulic model, but somewhere along the way, Twilight had dropped the water physics and opted for pure circuitry, most of which was still exposed. A USB cable ran from a port in its elbow joint to her computer.
Sunset returned to her seat in a nearby rolling chair. She had spent half the day acting as Twilight’s dutiful assistant, helping attach the metal frame to the robot arm and playing with Spike as needed. After a long game of fetch, the puppy was currently curled up under Twilight’s desk.
“So, how much longer is this code going to take?” Sunset asked. She took another sip of coffee and watched Twilight type lines of programming against a black dialogue box.
“For me to get it ready for the contest? Just a few more hours. I just need it to respond to basic voice commands like, ‘pick up the screwdriver’ or ‘turn off the computer’. Then, as long as the sensors are working, it should be optimal. I would like to program it with more complex commands afterward, but that could take months.”
Twilight repeatedly hit the backspace button. “But, if I do get the science internship, maybe they’ll help me improve upon it. I would potentially have access to a real lab space and far more resources.”
“A ‘real’ lab? So, you admit this is a garage?” Sunset asked, hiding her mouth behind her coffee cup.
Twilight looked over her shoulder and tried to glare. “I’m not going to get into a semantic argument with you about what counts as real and what doesn’t.”
“Hey, you said it, not me.”
She blew a raspberry. Sunset took it as a proof of victory.
As Twilight turned back to work on her code, Sunset wheeled herself to the auxiliary computer. On the desk next to it in a glass case was the worn journal Artemis and Trixie had brought back. “How’s the translation project going?”
“Pretty good,” Twilight said, eyes fixed on her screen. “I’m scanning every page into the computer, then using a program to try and visually restore whatever possible before putting it through a translator. I should be done in a week or two.”
Sunset looked between the scanner, the robot arm, and the selfie-sensor sitting on a shelf near the door. “I swear, you’re getting smarter by the day. Where was all this when we were working on our science fair project?”
“I wanted to build a miniature particle accelerator, but someone said no.”
“No, I said let’s build something plausible!”
“It could have been plausible!” She added under her breath, “And I’d like to see Trixie try and steal that.”
Sunset tried not to imagine what Trixie would have done with a miniature particle accelerator. She picked up a screwdriver and returned to her task of finishing the arm’s outer shell.
Aside from Twilight muttering under her breath, the two girls worked in silence. Sunset glanced over at Twilight every few minutes, watching her leg bounce or her fingers fidget anytime she stopped typing. Sunset seriously hoped that one sip of caffeine didn’t send her into a sugar rush. Though she had made it pretty strong.
After an hour or so of work, Twilight shouted, “Preliminary code done! Uploading now!” She clicked the computer mouse, then swung around to Sunset. “Are you finished?”
Sunset could see her pupils dilating. “Just about. Are you sure you don’t want to wait until tomorrow to start testing it?”
“No time like the present!” Twilight said hastily.
“Oh boy.” Sunset watched her mash a few more keys before getting up and standing over the mechanized arm.
“Initializing startup!” Twilight flicked a switch beneath its elbow, and a red light glowed on its boxy wrist. The arm gave a few simple, shaky motions as its innards began to whir.
Twilight picked up a pen and clipboard and scribbled notes down. “So far so good. Now, for the first test. M.A. 1.0, pick up screwdriver!”
“M.A.?” Sunset inquired.
“Mecha-Arm.”
The Mecha-Arm swiveled its forearm from left to right like it was searching for something. It came to rest over the screwdriver Sunset had left on the table, and its claws unfolded and reached down to scoop it up.
“Yes! It worked! Another victory for science!”
Something sparked along the underside of its arm, and an ember flickered to life.
“Gah!” Both girls cried. Sunset ran and grabbed the fire extinguisher by the door and doused the M.A. in a layer of foam. The arm continued to whir and jitter before throwing the screwdriver at Sunset.
“Hey!” Sunset ducked and glared. “I was trying to help you out!”
Twilight reached behind it and flicked the switch down. The arm shuddered, then went limp. “Setbacks, setbacks, always setbacks,” she grumbled and scribbled on her clipboard.
“How long do you think it’ll take to fix it?”
Twilight sat down in front of her computer and bounced her leg again. “That depends on what the problem is. Now, I have to go through the entire code and triple check nothing is out of place—and I almost hope something is because that would be the easiest thing to fix—otherwise, we’ll have to check and fix the wiring and sensory motors, and it’s probably that because there’s no code in there that tells it to throw objects!” Twilight huffed and began furiously typing.
Sunset retrieved the screwdriver and removed a panel from the arm’s elbow, letting out a thin stream of smoke. “Yeah, looks like it’s the latter, Sparky.” She nudged a few wires aside to find the specific offender.
When Twilight didn’t comment, Sunset looked over her shoulder and snorted with laughter. Twilight’s head rested against the keyboard, her glasses askew.
“She lasted longer than I thought,” Sunset amused aloud, moving to bring her upstairs.
*******
Rainbow pointed her gun at another zombie lumbering toward her and pulled the trigger. Its head exploded in a shower of blood and it fell over, only for two more to take its place.
“On your right!” Soarin shouted.
“I’m a little busy!” Rainbow yelled back, firing rapidly as another zombie dropped from the ceiling. Soarin shot it twice in the chest, and Rainbow finished it off before turning to the zombies climbing in through the window on her right side. She shot one in the head, then had to reload her shotgun.
“They’re breaking down the front door!” Soarin finished reloading his own gun and took over for Rainbow, just as the door across from the burst open and unleashed a fresh wave of the undead.
“Aw, crap!” Rainbow moaned. She clicked her trigger as fast as she could, but even her and Soarin’s combined efforts couldn’t hold the tide.
Blood poured down the screen when both character’s health points hit zero. ‘Game Over’ rose up in the center of the screen.
Rainbow groaned and stuck the light gun back in its holster. She stepped away from the arcade cabinet as the scoreboard popped up.
“Hey, we got the ninth top spot,” Soarin said.
“Meh.” Rainbow lifted her arms behind her head. “I don’t know how anyone gets past the warehouse level. The way they throw enemies at you is so cheap.”
Soarin caught up to her, wearing his optimistic grin. “Still, top ten. That’s pretty good. And we killed thirty minutes.”
“Yeah. Turns out, you’re not an awful shot.”
“Wish I could say the same thing about you.”
Rainbow nudged him in the ribs and he laughed. They navigated their way out of the arcade and into the mall proper. It was well-populated on a Sunday; even more so now that everyone was on summer vacation. Rainbow could spot a tourist wearing a ‘Ceep Cool Canterlot’ t-shirt. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would choose Canterlot as a vacation spot. It was cool but it wasn’t that cool.
From the third-floor balcony, Rainbow could see the food court crowded with the afternoon rush. “Man, I want a hot dog, but I don’t know if it’s worth waiting in that line.”
Soarin leaned next to her and whistled. “Hey, there’s a pretty good place on 3rd and central. You wanna drive down there?”
Rainbow crossed her arms over the railing. “I dunno. Those dogs are kinda expensive. You gonna pay for it?” she asked expectantly.
Soarin smirked. “Tell you what, we play one game of air hockey. Loser has to pay for lunch.”
“Oh, you’re so on!” Rainbow turned and ran back toward the arcade. She stopped at the entrance when she noticed she wasn’t being followed. “Soarin?”
Soarin was still at the balcony, head tilted up like he was listening for something.
“Yo!” Rainbow called, but Soarin didn’t register her. She walked back over and waved a hand in front of his face. “Earth to boyfriend, you there?”
He blinked and looked down at her. “Yeah, sorry.”
“You okay?”
Soarin looked around the mall, furrowing his brow. “Yeah, I just… I could have sworn I heard Harbinger.”
Rainbow strained her own ears trying to hear a wolf above the incessant chatter and music playing over the speakers. Instead of a howl, shattering glass and screams broke the tranquility of the mall. People on the first floor began running, and Rainbow felt an unsettling chill run up her spine.
More glass shattered and the screams intensified. The mall’s alarm went off, invoking panic from the onlookers gathered on the second and third floors. Rainbow’s heart hammered, and her fight or flight instincts told her it was time to flee.
What? I’m no coward!
“Something’s wrong,” Soarin said between his teeth. He too looked like he was fighting the urge to make a break for it.
A white ray of energy shot across the ground floor and hit a table in the food court, blasting it into the hot dog stand. Adagio stepped into view, palm raised as she looked around at the fleeing shoppers.
Rainbow let out a string of swears, her anger shoving her fear aside. “We have to do something!”
“Harbinger!” Soarin called.
From thin air, Harbinger leaped onto the railing and vaulted down to the ground floor, teeth bared as she charged for Adagio. The Siren spun around and recoiled, throwing her hands up to defend herself. Just before Harbinger could sink her claws in, a hexagonal shield sprung out from Adagio’s open palm and shoved the wolf away.
Adagio peeked between her arms at the red-tinted diamond standing between her and a snarling Harbinger. From the third floor, Rainbow could see the emotions flitting across her face: confusion, then realization, followed by a wicked grin.
“What the hell?” Rainbow breathed. Soarin grabbed her hand and pulled her down behind a planter. “Did you see that?”
“Yeah, nothing about any of this is making sense,” Soarin said, his voice muffled by the ringing alarm. “Why is Adagio using magic in broad daylight?”
“I dunno, but she’s begging for a beatdown!” Rainbow tried to get up but Soarin yanked her back down.
“We can’t just go out there and start using magic too! The media and the government will be all over us; you’ve read the comic books!”
Rainbow clenched her fist. “I’m not just gonna sit here and let your wolf do all the fighting!”
Soarin winced and held his chest. They both snuck a peek over the balcony rail and saw Harbinger shaking off a blast of magic. Adagio formed another ball in her left palm, but instead of throwing it at Harbinger, she lobbed it at a group of bystanders scrambling to get out the front doors. Harbinger sped toward them and jumped in front of the projectile, howling in pain as she collapsed to the floor.
Soarin let out a gasp and doubled over. “That’s low,” he growled.
“See? We gotta get down there and fight!” Rainbow said, helping him sit up straight.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t, I’m saying we need to be smart about it.”
Rainbow looked around them. Most of the third floor was empty, and those who remained were taking refuge in the arcade. She spotted a sports apparel store perpendicular to them and an idea popped into her head. “Come on!” She pulled Soarin to his feet.
The store clerk had disappeared, giving the couple the run of the place. They grabbed hoodies, football helmets, and hockey sticks. Once her hair was tucked away and the helmet was on, Rainbow ponied up and zoomed out to the atrium, landing behind Adagio. The Siren had a large backpack on, and her neck was crowded with stolen jewelry.
“Show’s over, Adagio!”
Adagio took an eye off Harbinger and looked over her shoulder. “You look dumber than usual, Rainbow.”
“No idea who that is,” Rainbow said, pitching her voice down. She blitzed forward and slammed her hockey stick into Adagio’s abdomen, sending her flying near the food court, to the cheers of the remaining bystanders.
She rolled up onto her feet and bared her teeth. “Don’t think I’m going to just let you play the hero! You and this entire city are going to fear me!” She thrust her palm out, and Rainbow caught sight of a piece of crystal stitched into the palm of her glove.
Light gathered and another energy beam burst out of it. Rainbow zipped out of the way, and the beam carried on instead to shatter the sliding doors of the front entrance. The crowd's cheers quickly dissolved back into screams, and Rainbow felt another chill tickle her spine, suggesting she run.
Rainbow chose to run straight toward Adagio instead, only this time, she collided with a barrier and was thrown backward. Her head rattled inside her football helmet as she hit the floor.
So that’s why dad didn’t let me play football.
“Back off, banshee!” Soarin yelled. He jumped over Rainbow and swung his hockey stick. Instead of raising another shield, Adagio grabbed the stick with one hand and raised her jewel-embedded glove at Soarin’s face. He ducked and hooked a leg behind Adagio’s ankle, pulling it out from under her as she fired another beam. It went wide as she fell to the floor and hit the wall of the second floor, leaving a deep crack and a scorch mark.
Adagio kicked her leg out as she fell, hitting Soarin in the chest and pushing him away. She carried the momentum to roll backward and onto her feet and aim another blast at him, but Rainbow was back on her feet. She ran behind Adagio, grabbed both her arms, and pinned them behind her back.
Following a quick inhale, Adagio let out a piercing wail. Cracks spiderwebbed across the mall’s immense glass windows until they resembled a mosaic art piece. Shards rained down from the central skylight, twinkling in the afternoon sun before bouncing harmlessly off Rainbow’s protective padding. Her helmet couldn’t stop Adagio’s wail from assaulting her eardrums and leaving them ringing with pain. Another jolt of fear shot through her as the people outside screamed again, and she slackened her hold. Adagio broke free from Rainbow’s weakened grip, and with a glowing red hand, punched her square in the chest.
Rainbow sailed across the entire food court and crashed into the ramen shop, dropping her hockey stick and smashing a table in two with her landing. The impact certainly left her bruised, and she admitted she was a little dazed. But as Rainbow stood up and looked at the broken table, she rolled her shoulders and wondered how none of her bones were broken. Her next question was how had Adagio managed to punch her that hard?
On the other side of the mall, Soarin exchanged blows with Adagio, striking at her throat any time she tried to open her mouth. Adagio blocked a high kick and struck Soarin with an open palm, sending him flying into the side of the escalator.
Harbinger leaped at Adagio, teeth and claws aimed at her neck. Adagio ducked and stuck her hand up as the wolf bore down on her, grabbing it by the throat with her jewel hand. She pinned Harbinger to the ground and cackled as Harbinger let out a whine, her translucent body flickering. Soarin, hugging his ribs as he climbed to his feet, let out a gasp and dropped back to one knee.
Rainbow flew through the broken window of the ramen shop and shoulder tackled Adagio onto the floor. They tumbled until Rainbow landed on top of Adagio. Cocking her arm back, Rainbow unleashed a flurry of rapid-fire punches onto Adagio’s face.
White-hot energy struck Rainbow in the gut and blasted her into the air. Her wings caught her as she reached the third floor, and she wheezed. It felt like she had been kicked by a metal boot.
Adagio stood up and wiped the blood from her nose. “You’re dead!” She aimed her palm at Rainbow.
A swarm of doves dove from the open ceiling and attacked Adagio, pecking and scratching any skin they could get at. Adagio screamed and swatted them until a shield popped to life around her and pushed the birds away. They circled around and returned to the skylight, and in their place, Artemis dropped down, unleashing a jet of fire from his wand at Adagio’s shield.
Adagio pushed her arms out, sending the hexagonal patterns of her barrier flying in every direction. Artemis ducked and fired a blast of magic that grazed Adagio’s cheek. From behind, Harbinger pinned Adagio onto her stomach.
Artemis pointed his wand down at the bridge of Adagio’s nose. “Not so tough without your cronies, are you?”
“Big talk for someone who let two kids do most of the fighting,” she said between her teeth.
“Someone will need to take over when I’m gone.”
“Which should be very soon!” Adagio’s hand pulsed, and a wolf identical to Harbinger, only translucent red instead of blue, tackled the guardian spirit off Adagio. She fired a blast at Artemis, who deflected it with his cape, then sprung a multi-colored handkerchief from his sleeve. It wrapped around her left wrist and tied itself into a knot. Adagio yanked it forward, dragging Artemis toward her. She twisted her hand around and grabbed his arm.
Artemis stiffened. “What are you—”
Rainbow swooped down and brought her fist across Adagio’s cheek. Both she and Artemis went to the floor, but Adagio still had her claws in his arm.
Wincing with every step, Soarin ran over and smashed his heel onto Adagio’s wrist, forcing her to let go. Artemis cut his handkerchief and got to his feet as Rainbow dove again and kicked Adagio in the ribs, sending her rolling into one of the clothing shops.
Rainbow, Soarin, and Artemis fanned out in front of the store’s entrance. “You lose, Adagio!” Rainbow shouted.
Adagio pounded a fist on the carpet, raised her head, and let out another reverberating scream.
The three of them flinched; Rainbow was tempted to take her helmet off so she could plug her ears. Artemis set his jaw and bore through it, raising his wand and casting a bubble around Adagio, instantly silencing her. She shouted something and smacked her hand against the forcefield.
Artemis smirked. “I’m going to have great pleasure putting you in a new prison.”
Adagio clenched her fist, her face turning red. It wasn’t just her face, however. Her entire body took on a red shimmer before she slammed her fist down and brought up a cloud of smoke that filled the entire bubble.
“Did she just explode?” Soarin asked.
Artemis stepped closer, wand at the ready. Rainbow watched the smoke swirl about, unable to see anything beyond it, not even a shadow. Artemis snapped his fingers and the bubble disappeared, releasing all of the smoke. Adagio was nowhere to be seen.
“That little…” Artemis grumbled and held his arm where Adagio had grabbed him. “I can’t believe she stole some of my magic! I mean, I can, but still!”
“Is that what she did?” Soarin asked with a gasp. “She grabbed Harbinger and I could feel her fading from me.”
Rainbow dropped to the floor. “That doesn’t explain how she teleported. Or made those shields. That Staff of Sasha—whatever shard is just supposed to absorb and blast magic.”
“Apparently not. She made her own Harbinger,” Soarin said as the original padded over, looking no worse for wear. Like Adagio, the red wolf had vanished.
Soarin kneeled in front of her. She pierced him with her deep stare, and he stroked her head. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a sore rib is all. As long as you’re good.”
Artemis turned his head to the crowd still huddled just beyond the broken glass of the front entrance. “If Adagio is truly gone, now would be a good time to make ourselves scarce too. We have a lot we need to discuss now.”
Rainbow looked about the mall. People were just now crawling out of their hiding places and pulling out their cellphones. “Yeah, let’s go.” She was about to break into a run, but Artemis put a hand on her shoulder instead, and the world folded in on itself.